


some things never died

by Yuna_Starlines



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Bittersweet, Character Death, Día de los Muertos | Day of the Dead, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Religion, Roman & Remus are latinx, actually a lot of characters but it's never on-screen, his (B)Roman, just remus being remus and loving his bro a lot, mexicans to be precise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:02:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27288361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuna_Starlines/pseuds/Yuna_Starlines
Summary: Maybe when he was 10 years-old he was a little ashamed of being Mexican, maybe when he was 12 years-old he was jealous of Roman.But twenty-five years-old Remus just found the tradition very sad. Ghosts didn’t even exist, food will be thrown away, it wasn’t even the connection.Or: Remus conflict with Día de Muertos and how he ended up loving it.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	some things never died

**Author's Note:**

> Am I writing a Dia de los Muertos fic instead of doing an essay that it’s due tomorrow? Yes.
> 
> Few things:   
> \- Altar: Shrine  
> \- Cempasúchil: A traditional orange flower  
> \- Nochebuena: Christmas Eve  
> \- Tejocotes: A fruit no one likes

Halloween was Remus holiday. It was the day where he could be as gross as he wanted. A day where no one compared him with Roman, because Roman always used the Prince costume. He could be himself and no one would judge him.

Even if he hated the next day.

“Mijo, come helped us.” His mama would say as he put up the altar for her grandma. It got bigger as Remus grew up, with two aunts, his grandparents and even a dog. However, in the beginning it was only his great-grandma.

“This is depressing.” He would always say, as he poured some cempasúchil petals on the floor.

He never understood his mama stubbornness to put up the shrine, and he hated it. It was sad and depressing, and while his mama cooked some things she was crying. He never understood why she put herself through that. If something makes his mama cry, then it meant it was bad. Case in point, he despised Día de los Muertos.

However, dear perfect _golden son_ Roman, loved it. It turned out to be more of a mama and Roman bonding time than the actual purpose of the holiday. ~~Maybe that was why he hated it so much, but he will never say it out loud.~~

* * *

As grew up, he ignored more and more his heritage, and favored Halloween instead. He stopped helping his mama to put up the altar, and when he moved out of his family house, he promised to never put up the altar.

* * *

Remus draw away from his family.

He missed them deeply, but there was a hole on his heart. _~~Why aren’t you more like Roman?~~_ He never wanted to grew up hating his little brother ( _It’s two minutes you aren’t that special,_ Roman would say, sticking his tongue out).

It wasn’t exactly that he cut off communication with them, but the lesser time he spent with his family the better.

Of course he still hangs out with Roman from time to time, almost every Nochebuena and their shared birthday. Even if a part of him hated Roman, he was still his baby brother.

He never put the shrine. ( _It’s altar._ Roman said, but Remus never wanted to learn Spanish).

* * *

His mama died of old age, December 12.

Remus was on a date, a guy he had met on Grindr. He was actually having a nice time with the guy, which was weird because guys in Grindr could be… special, to say the least.

He felt his phone shake on his pocket, but he ignored it. He was really having a nice day, and it was probably people from his job.

“Wait, sorry.” He said to Virgil, who smiled as he drank some coke. “My brother is calling me.”

Virgil made a _go ahead_ with his head, and Remus shyly smiled. _**“¿Qué?”**_

“It’s mamá.” Roman said, “I-She.”

He left the date without an explanation.

Roman arrived first at the hospital, and his mama die holding on one hand Roman's and the other Remus’ hand.

“Los amo mucho, mi niños.”

And a part of Remus wanted to say that she only loved the golden child, but in end, he replied, “Te amamos más.”

And he meant it.

* * *

It was in his mama funeral where he met Logan, Roman’s partner.

He introduced Virgil as his friend.

That night he lit up a candle and pray for his mama.

* * *

It was Christmas Eve, and he was excited to see his baby brother. He had baked some green apple pie, and he was holding Virgil’s hand.

“It’s nice to see that even if mom isn’t here, you still came.” Roman said, as he opened the door and let them in. Remus wanted to say that he always came because he loved Roman, but he just smiled.

“Guess some things never die.”

He was excited, it was the first time he brought Virgil to the house. Even if their family got shorter, even if now their family was only four and not the twenty-something he grew up with.

He was happy.

* * *

It was October, again. When he received a text from Roman.

_R u putting up an_ _altar this year? I can’t find the recipe of the shrimps mama liked :(_

_-Ro_

He smiled and rolled his eyes.

_U know I don’t like it._

_-Remus_

He groaned when he saw the answer and decided not to reply.

_i thought u will change ur mind, mama used to like it_

_idk why u are ashamed of ur traditions_

_-Ro_

It wasn’t that.

Maybe when he was 10 years-old he was a little ashamed of being Mexican, maybe when he was 12 years-old he was jealous of Roman.

But twenty-five years-old Remus just found the tradition very sad. Ghosts didn’t even exist, food will be thrown away, it wasn’t even the connection.

_Sorry shouldn’t have said that._

The text message was sent that night.

_Can still show u mine? Logan helped me, even his brother came to help._

_-Ro_

_Ofc!_

And the altar was huge, with photos of aunts and even his great-grandmother who Roman never even met, there was clay dishes with traditional food, flowers everywhere. The photo of the mama was in the middle.

_Wow u are so extra_

_I love it_

_I bet they’ll do it too._

That night he lit up a candle and didn’t pray.

Halloween was still more his thing, after all.

* * *

Virgil never asked anything personal, so when they moved in together, he never questioned the candle on Remus’ kitchen that was always lit.

Probably he already knew the answer.

* * *

“I think my brother likes your brother's boyfriend's brother.” Virgil said. They’ve been together for five years, and it was that Christmas dinner again. The family grew bigger when Logan started inviting his own brother, Patton.

“What?”

“Yeah, sounded funnier in my head.” Virgil snorted, “Janus, he’s acting all weird since Patton arrived.”

Remus still remembers, how Virgil didn’t even want to mentioned Janus existence. _We just hate each other_ and sure, Remus understand not liking your brother because brother’s can be annoying, but hating them?

_Huh, I used to hate roman a lot when I was a kid._

Something had happened between them, something nor Virgil nor Janus wanted to talked about, so he never says anything. But Roman, oh Roman I want to fix everything, had interfere.

_I just can’t imagine a life where we hate each other._ And Virgil has the audacity to laughed at Remus, who okay, now he didn’t hate Roman and it was bad to live in the past _and stop laughing motherfucker!_

“Oh, well that’s gonna be quite interesting.”

* * *

Logan never called Remus, sure sometimes they exchange messages like _your brother is crazy_ or _your fiancé is bothering me_ or even send each other funny memes. They never really called each other, so when Remus noticed that he has three missed calls he assumed something was wrong.

“Roman is in the hospital.”

Remus have always been very careful when he drives, his mama taught him well, but that time he didn’t care. His baby brother was in danger.

* * *

Later, Logan explained they were buying some things for the wedding, and that Roman suddenly vanished. _Yes, we were okay. No, he had just eaten. No, he wasn’t dehydrated._

Remus was shaking, trying to text Virgil he wasn’t going home, not until his baby brother was okay.

Turned out, Remus wouldn’t be home for a few days.

* * *

Roman grew weaker and started losing weight. The doctors had said he had a few months left, “It’s not possible to say, with something like this.”

_This_ didn’t even have a name. Tests were made, needles went into Roman’s arms to test his blood, but no one knew.

But Roman was still smiling every day, so they tried to smiled with him.

* * *

“So, I’m marrying tomorrow because I want to spent the next few months of my life married with the love of my life, are you coming?”

It was the first thing Remus heard when he picked up the phone, “I’m offended you even had to ask, of course I’m coming Ro.”

That night, as Roman danced with Logan, Remus cried.

* * *

When they were kids, they had a lot of sleepovers. Even if they didn’t share a room, one would go the room of the other and lay blankets and pillows on the floor.

They were thirty-three and they were on Remus’ living room. Logan had gone on a business trip, and Virgil was with Janus for that night. It wasn’t that Remus was afraid of leaving Roman alone, or that Roman was scared of being left alone.

No, of course not, they just wanted to feel like kids again.

“Why is there a candle on the kitchen counter?” Roman asked, as he sat next to his brother, leaving the bowl of popcorn in the middle.

“Oh, it’s for mama.” Remus said, absentmindedly as he chose a scary movie, after all, it was spooky season, “I always have one lit up.”

Remus couldn’t see Roman’s watery smile, but he listened the way his voice broke, “Will you put up one for me too?”

And fuck, no he didn’t want to have this conversation, he didn’t want that to happen. He never wanted this to happened, and now tears where coming to his own eyes, “Do you want one?”

“Maybe even an altar.”

“Fuck, Roman you’re unbelievable.” He laughed, letting the tears flow, “I hate you, you know that?” Roman bark a laugh, leaning against his shoulder. Remus ignored the way the bone dug uncomfortably against him and leaned onto his brother.

“I don’t know how to put up one.” He admitted, “Halloween was my holiday…”

“I know…”

“Mom didn’t compare me with you on Halloween,” he admitted, and Roman hold onto his hand, “and then, the altar was a thing between you two and I never wanted to interrumpirlos,” he ended up saying, mainly because he forgot the word in English, but also because it felt appropriate.

“I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault. I don’t think you noticed, and honestly? I was an angry kid growing up.”

“Maybe this year we could put it up together.”

“In your house, cuz it doesn’t match my aesthetic.”

Roman snorted but agreed in the end.

* * *

“Remus, I if you put tejocotes in my altar I will haunt you.”

“Oh no, I’m so scared.”

* * *

That was the last shr- the last _altar_ he put up. They put it together.

And the night Roman stopped breathing, he lit up a candle.

And he prayed.

* * *

Christmas came again, and when Logan came into Remus’ and Virgil’s house holding some mole, Remus smiled.

“It’s nice to see some things never die.”

The mole tasted horrible, very white in Remus opinion, but he never said anything.

* * *

“Hey, Vee?” Remus said, “will you help me clean this part of the house? I need to put a table there.”

Virgil never asked anything personal, so he just agreed.

Maybe he already knew what it was for.

* * *

Halloween was Remus holiday. It was the day where he could be as gross as he wanted.

He could be himself and no one would judge him.

He didn’t like Dia de los Muertos. When he was a kid, it was because he was jealous. As he grew up, he just found the tradition very sad.

But as he cooked some of the dishes Roman liked the most, as he absentmindedly hummed to Juan Gabriel songs, as he cleaned Roman’s and his mama’s photos, he understood.

He put up the last clay dish on the altar and stared in awe.

“I think Roman will like it.” Virgil said, as he hugged him.

“He better does, I spent all day doing it.”

Halloween may be Remus holiday, and Día de los Muertos Roman’s.

Some things never died, apparently.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Remus totally put tejocotes and Roman was very amused.


End file.
